Woodie's Picks: Junipers That Bring Low-Maintenance Color & Long-Lasting Beauty
As I rack my mind for some of my favorite landscaping projects, all of them have one cool-toned, breathtaking favorite in common: junipers. Junipers are extremely versatile plants that bring elements of color, depth, and structure to the landscape.
In this week of Woodie's Picks, I've decided to focus on four of my favorite junipers that bring unmatched elegance and beauty to any landscape.
Blue Point Juniper
Blue Point Juniper (Juniperus chinensis 'Blue Point') is a go-to option when I need a versatile, low-maintenance evergreen that offers both structure and year-round color to the garden. This densely branched, pyramidal shrub grows to about 8 to 12 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide, making it an ideal choice for creating vertical accents in the landscape.
The vibrant blue-green foliage retains its color throughout the year, providing consistent visual interest even in winter when many other plants are dormant. Its natural conical shape requires little to no pruning, making Blue Point Juniper a perfect choice for those seeking a tidy, formal appearance without extensive maintenance.
In terms of landscape applications, Blue Point Juniper is incredibly adaptable and can be used in a variety of settings. It thrives in full sun and is tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions, including poor, dry, or sandy soils, making it an excellent option for challenging sites.
This juniper is ideal for use as a specimen plant, in mixed borders, containers, or as a living screen for privacy. Its compact form and consistent color also make it well-suited for foundation plantings, where it can anchor the landscape design and complement other plants with contrasting textures and colors. Whether used as a focal point, hedge, or mass plantings, Blue Point Juniper brings beauty and functionality to any landscape design.
A Word From Woodie: I recommend Blue Point Juniper for its elegant, pyramidal shape that provides structure and height to the landscape and its vibrant blue-green foliage that remains attractive year-round. Its adaptability to various soil conditions and low-maintenance requirements make it an excellent choice for creating formal accents, privacy screens, or foundation plantings with minimal effort.
Blue Rug Juniper
Blue Rug Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii') is one of my favorite groundcover options for its low-growing, sprawling habit and striking silvery-blue foliage. This hardy evergreen spreads out to create a dense, carpet-like mat that hugs the ground, making it an excellent choice for covering slopes, stabilizing soil, and preventing erosion.
Blue Rug Juniper grows only 4 to 6 inches tall but can spread up to 8 feet wide, creating a uniform, textured appearance that adds visual interest to the landscape. Its foliage maintains its vibrant color throughout the year, including in winter, when it may take on a slight purplish hue, offering year-round beauty and durability.
Blue Rug Juniper is highly valued for its versatility and adaptability in various landscape applications. It thrives in full sun and is tolerant of poor, sandy, or rocky soils, making it an ideal choice for challenging sites where other plants might struggle.
This juniper is also deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, and requires minimal maintenance. It is perfect for low-water landscapes, rock gardens, and areas where a tough, resilient ground cover is needed. Blue Rug Juniper can soften the edges of pathways, spill over retaining walls, or create a cohesive look in large open spaces. Its ability to suppress weeds and cover bare ground with minimal care makes it a practical and attractive solution for residential and commercial landscapes.
A Word From Woodie: I recommend Blue Rug Juniper for its low-growing, spreading habit that creates a dense, silvery-blue carpet, perfect for ground cover and erosion control on slopes. Its drought-tolerant and low-maintenance nature makes it ideal for covering large areas with minimal care while adding year-round color and texture to the landscape.
Skyrocket Juniper
Skyrocket Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum 'Skyrocket') is one of my top recommendations for adding vertical interest and structure to garden designs. This narrow, columnar evergreen is perfect for tight spaces or areas where height is desired without taking up much ground space.
Growing up to 15 feet tall but only 2 to 3 feet wide, Skyrocket Juniper offers a striking architectural form that works well as a focal point, in pairs to frame an entrance, or as a tall, slender hedge for privacy. Its silvery-blue foliage maintains its color year-round, providing a consistent and elegant presence in the landscape, even in the depths of winter.
Skyrocket Juniper is valued not only for its form but also for its resilience and adaptability, as well as its deer resistance. It thrives in full sun and can tolerate various soil types, including poor, rocky, or dry soils, making it a versatile choice for challenging sites.
This juniper is also drought-tolerant once established, requiring minimal maintenance, making it ideal for low-water landscapes or areas with limited irrigation. Whether used in formal gardens, contemporary designs, or as part of a mixed border, Skyrocket Juniper adds height, texture, and year-round color, making it a versatile and reliable option for various landscape settings.
A Word From Woodie: I recommend Skyrocket Juniper for its tall, narrow form, which adds striking vertical interest to the landscape, even in tight spaces. Its low maintenance and drought-tolerant nature make it ideal for creating height and structure in various garden settings with minimal care.
Moonglow Juniper
Moonglow Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum 'Moonglow') is also on my list of recommended plants because of its striking silvery-blue foliage and versatile growth habit that makes it a standout in various garden settings.
This evergreen has a dense, pyramidal form that reaches 10 to 15 feet in height with a spread of 4 to 6 feet, making it ideal for adding color and structure to the landscape. Its foliage's consistent, vibrant blue hue provides year-round interest, contrasting beautifully with green plants and adding a cooling, serene effect to the garden.
Moonglow Juniper's unique color and form and its deer resistance make it an excellent choice for use as a specimen plant, a vertical accent in mixed borders, or as a backdrop for flowering shrubs and perennials.
Moonglow Juniper is visually appealing and highly practical in landscape design due to its low maintenance and adaptable nature. It thrives in full sun and is tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions, including dry, sandy, or rocky soils, which makes it suitable for various challenging sites.
This juniper is also drought-tolerant and requires minimal pruning to maintain its shape, making it an excellent option for low-water and low-maintenance landscapes. Whether used to create a privacy screen, as a foundation planting, or in mass plantings to define a space, Moonglow Juniper brings beauty and functionality to any garden design. Its year-round appeal and ease of care make it a reliable choice for residential and commercial landscapes.
A Word From Woodie: I recommend Moonglow Juniper for its vibrant silvery-blue foliage that adds year-round color and a serene aesthetic to the landscape. Its dense, pyramidal form and adaptability to various soil conditions make it an excellent choice for creating striking vertical accents and low-maintenance focal points in the garden.
Conclusion
Landscaping is an art, and you as the landscaper are the artist. Paint the canvas that is your yard with colors, textures, and blooms to create a masterpiece you can enjoy for years to come! As a longtime designer and cultivator of gorgeous landscapes, I guarantee that through incorporating the above plants, you will easily bring your landscape beauty to the next level.
Shop our wide collection of juniper trees and juniper shrubs online today and enjoy shipment directly to your doorstep!